Freelancers, Independent Contractors and Small Businesses – Oh My!

The work of a freelancer, independent contractor, and true small businesses have been in the news a lot lately.  From taxes levied and proposed, to payment of bills and collections, to credit available, and everyone who is not a freelancer or independent contractor or a true small business has something to say on the issues. (I say true small businesses meaning those who have owners doing the grunt work right along side the worker bees, and not on vacation or off-site playing tennis. Owners who put their name, finances, heart and soul into the work as well as the business.  In my mind, every freelancer and independent contractor is a small business too.)  The independent contractor, freelancer and true small business are those who every big business has turned to at one time or another – more frequently the past few years – to get a job done and get it done right with quality – the first time.

Well, as a true small business, who began as an independent contractor and then freelancer, who works with freelancers and independent contractors on a daily basis, I felt the need to air my thoughts.

Taxes – for those who think taxing us more will help us grow – you are nuts.  If you think it will help the economy – again, find the fruit bowl and jump in.  You are taxing the small business, independent contractor, freelancer to death. We are working hard with big business and helping them grow – leave us alone so we can grow too.  Leave us alone so we can keep the jobs here in the good ol USA!

Available credit – There is not enough available credit around when you take into consideration, many of us need the credit because our bigger clients are paying slower and slower and we have personal and professional bills to pay.  If we give 30 days for a client to remit payment and they take 45, the mortgage, utilities, and the payment date for the independent contractors used on our jobs have been passed, and we dig into savings and personal accounts, and well there is never a full “catchup” once we get behind. Decent credit is not available to someone who is behind already.  Decent credit is only available to those who, quite frankly, don’t need it and have a credit score over 680 IF you are lucky.  Probably more like 700 or above.  In this economy, find me a freelancer, independent contractor or true small business that has a credit score that high since 2007 and maintained it.

Which takes me to the payment of our invoices, turning us into collectors ourselves.  As a small business who uses independent contractors, I pay my IC’s every two weeks.  I bill my clients every two weeks and give them 20 days to remit.  Tack on the 15 days before a late fee is tacked on, and it is 45 days for payment to come.  Oftentimes, clients will take 60 days before payment is made and disregard the late fees altogether. The great clients (other freelancers, independent contractors and true small businesses) who we understand are in the same boat we are, we tend to forgive the late fee anyway.

Continue that through months and months of billing and payments, and the quarterly tax payments due the moment you seem to get caught up, and there you have it.  The downward spiral of small business, freelancers, and independent contractors.  The most important aspect of USA if you ask my opinion. I know you didn’t, but you got it anyway.

Now many will say, just don’t accept work.  That is not good business when a small business, freelancer, or independent contractor is trying to grow.  If we did not accept the jobs, even knowing that payment could/would be late, we would not have an eventual income.  Worse yet, we show a disloyalty to other freelancers, small businesses, and independent contractors who relay on us to help them earn their income as well.  Even worse – many of the larger companies will find someone over seas to off-shore to, costing the US economy in so many more ways.

The small business typically works with freelancers and independent contractors who in turn are working for other bigger businesses, who also take that 45 to 60 days or more to remit payment.  If you want to tax someone, tax those bigger businesses who are costing us little guys our homes and our livelihoods.

No, not all clients are slow payers.  Some of us are lucky to have those clients that work hard to make sure we are paid.  We all understand the trickle-down economy and how patience is needed. We all know how hard it is when we are waiting for the “check is in the mail” economy (http://wp.me/pLEiA-39) to turn around.  We value our clients, but more, we value our work.  And we continue to do the quality work that our clients demand.

So, please, to all you high paid suits who feel the need to continue to financially harass the true small business, freelancers, and independent contractors – think about it.  If you kill our business, who are you going to turn to the next time you want the job done right?

http://www.clktranscription.com

I Work From Home So I Make My Own Hours? Yeah Right!

When you work from home, everyone thinks you have time for everything besides work. You can chat, run an errand, babysit, volunteer to bake for a friend’s upcoming dinner – anything, because you work from home.

The phone will ring and you say “I have to get back to work” and the person on the other end laughs and keeps on talking.  They know there is no time clock for you.  They do not get the idea of deadlines.  After all, you do work from home.

The doorbell rings and even though you know better than to answer it, they see your car in the driveway and continue to ring the bell or worse, bang loudly on the door itself, so grudgingly you welcome them in for a quick chat.

Kids will come into the room with the most inane questions or comments.  It seems as if they never want to talk until you say “I have work to do.”  They are easy though, just mention chores and they find a way to leave you alone.

The pets will make a mess that can’t wait to be cleaned up, the kids are hungry, the laundry basket grows fuller, the kitchen sink is full, the floors need attention from the vacuum, and the dust just keeps piling up.

So why do we work from home?

Because we can make our own hours?  There is nothing to make – the clock gives us 24 hours in a day, and sometimes we use them all and then some not to mention 7 days a week.

Because we can be with the family more?  Yeah, when they constantly interrupt with questions, because they are nowhere to be found when the work is done and the chores are next on the list.  And scheduling a family hour is just as hard sometimes as scheduling a week of vacation.

Because we can concentrate better?  Have you read above?

Actually, in my world, I work from home (actually let’s get this straight, most of us have an office within our home – yes it makes a difference) because I can be home for my family and friends, for the chores that need to be done, and for my pets, as well as the work that must be done for my clients.

I work from home because I can work 24 hours in a day if I wish, or 17, or 8 or even 2 depending on the workload.   Being available longer hours increases my chances of being able to help others, and in the long run, we all win.  I work from home because I can take care of business, take care of my family and take care of myself much better even with the added stress, longer hours, and many interruptions.

Lastly, I work from home because I find that I can learn more, do more and love it more when I am in the office I designed, organized just how I like it, and able to have those distractions to remind me that there are reasons why I work at all.  And the best part is the dress code!!!

I love what I do but it is not just what I do, it is who I am.

I am proud to be a mom, friend, sister.  I am proud to say that I am a US Transcription Company owner, transcriptionist, educator, and mentor with a home-based office.  I love the work I do for the journalist, writer, doctor, and corporation – from their most difficult audio to their voice mails to their conversion of PDF to WORD documents.  Those that work in a conventional office or those that like me that find working at home a way of life.  Feel free to bang on my door anytime.  Coffee is always on.

http://www.clktranscription.com

The Check is in the Mail Economy

I am tired of this “check is in the mail” economy struggle.

My clients have work.  I have plenty of work.  My IC’s have plenty of work, and we are diligent in our invoicing and billing.  We work hard and generate the income.  But when the check is in the mail economy rears its ugly head every month, it makes taking care of our own very difficult.

That money we had saved has been used to cover expenses.  That 401K has become grocery money for many.  The only market we check out is the grocery market.

All because of the check is in the mail economy.

If all of the checks in the mail were to show up tomorrow, we all may just be able to pay our mortgage, buy our groceries, take care of our utilities and other bills, and possibly put a little back into our 401K or other retirement plan.

Until then, when the phone rings and it is our credit card company or other bill calling us – we just tell them that we are working hard, we are cutting costs, we are eating macaroni and cheese five nights a week and the other two its eggs (they come in bulk you know – 12 in a carton) and that because of our wonderful economy we have a legitimate excuse – the check is in the mail and we are waiting for it too!!

www.clktranscription.com

Things I Love About Being a Transcriptionist

Just a few of the fun things that make others go “why?” and me go “why not?”

1.  The audio sent at 9 a.m. and need back by 10 a.m. – of course it is a 50 minute file.

2.  The audio sent that has only the interviewer (oops).

3.  The audio recorded outside in a crowded restaurant and the recorder is placed on the table next to the clinking glasses.  (not to mention the full mouths or the recorder taken to the bathroom by the doctor taking a moment to handle more than one business matter.)

4.  The audio with so many false starts, you can’t figure out what is being said at all.  You know, I mean, but, yes, just like that.

5. The speaker who says one thing so often you can auto-text it –  pick one – Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Right, right, right.  You know.  Okay, okay, okay.  I mean.  UHM,

6.  The doctor that starts out with the right hand, goes on to the left hand, comes back to the right hand and then says “transcriptionist please fix” without noting which is correct.

7.  The audio recorded on cell phone while driving through a tunnel so that every other word sounds like “OLIKEALHED”.

8.  The audio with ESL (English Second Language), which is usually fine, except that this time they speak in half-broken English and half whatever language is native.  Something like, “Hello.  Yes ja razumijem što si rekao very clearly.”

9.  The speaker who thinks we can SEE what they are pointing at.  “This here is what we call this column here.”

10.  The speaker who truly believes sounds can be transcribed understandably and uses them throughout their speech. Swoosh, Whoot, Whrrr whrrr.

Seriously…all very treasured moments in my line of business, especially when we can produce the best possible document in spite of it all.

We learn about things – random things through our work.  Ask me about cloud computing, real estate, foods, benchmarks, loan rates, pension plans, student savings plans, the stock market, parenting, any medical illness, drugs, LGBT and the military, credit scores, the movies, empowerment, the economy, and yes – the best new sex secrets and gadgets too.   (Actually you can ask, but unless its published, we take  our confidentiality of all work we do very, very seriously, so we may not answer – but you can ask.)

From seminars, to one on one interviews, to multiple speaker interviews (where everyone speaks at once), to presentations, coaching calls (no not the sex topic) to website material for posting, celebrity interviews, round table discussions, educational reports, and even voice mails.  If it is in any audio format or even written form – we can convert it into a document that will knock your socks off most times.  (Sex topic especially).

My career choice is an ongoing education with many, many educators.   They are not our words.  They are not our stories – we just make it a bit easier for you to get yours out there.

Learning is part of my job.  Transcribing is my career.  Loving what I do makes being a transcriptionist so much fun and worthwhile.

http://www.clktranscription.com

Why I Am Not Journalist!

I love to write.  I love to do research.  I love to read.  So, why am I not a journalist?  Because I love to write, but I read much better.

Seriously, though –

Because your job is harder than mine.

You are given or come up with a topic.  You work hard to find the right resources and work out a schedule to interview those resources and gather all the necessary information and make a powerful,  informative article that people will want to read.  Sounds easy to some, but I know better.

The topic must be something that you are familiar with, interested in, or can at least relate to.  Or for those who just have wonderful skills, be able to KNOW how to sponge the information from various research for use in a fabulous paper for print.

Resources can be anyone.  Can ramble so badly that you want to shout – GET TO THE POINT, or worse, could answer your questions without really answering your questions. Occasionally the smooth, precise, clear speaker is found, but it is a rarity. (trust me, this I do know.)

Scheduling the interviews – Resources can schedule the interview and change ten minutes before it was to begin, as if their time is the only time to consider, or can start the interview and have to go due to some conflicting appointment after just 5 minutes, or even want to do the interview so early in the morning or middle of the night – just because they can.  Others just want to talk to hear themselves talk and can go on and on and on.  For these however, many of you have your interview stopping statement to bring it to a close, and are so charming when you use it.

Those items can be tough enough, but what’s worse is when you are interviewing someone who is so arrogant, uninteresting, incoherent, or a double talker.  Someone who assumes you know nothing at all, questions your abilities and knowledge and lets you know it.  Or someone who said they could help you in your mission for a really good story and you find out they really have nothing at all. For example, you asked about really great marble to use in a bathroom remodel and they talk about port-a-potties.  You know what I mean.  And many of you are so diplomatic that you find something – anything – this person has talked about in order to say it was not a wasted appointment.

And then there are times the interview goes well.  You have what you need and you find that you did the entire 50 minute interview and forgot to turn on your recorder, or it malfunctions during the interview (or after), or your computer crashes and you lose the entire kit and caboodle.

All of this is just the items I can decipher from transcribing your interviews.  All of this is what amazes me when I see your final product after publication and am amazed how wonderful it is.  Your job is much harder than mine.

I just transcribe the interviews and other material.  If I had to deal with just that kind of “stuff” I would probably be unemployed from saying something like “hey, Buddy, do me a favor and just answer the damn question.  And while you’re at it, can you pay attention to what you are responding to and stop eating or calling out to your friends who are walking by as you talk to me,  and hey buddy – the phone works better when you talk into it.  Can you get any closer to the man yelling in the background, I am not hearing what he is so mad about.  I was ready yesterday for our 10 a.m. appointment and you changed it to 3 a.m. so how about pay attention to the questions so I can go back to bed.”

Me, I can sit here, transcribe your audio, and smile…better you than me.  I will just wait for you to go to print and see how amazing you made the information into something that others can understand and draw from.

That is why I am not a journalist.  I am just a transcriptionist, here to type your audio, help you meet your deadlines and watch you take all that hard work you do and make an article worth reading, sharing, and discussing for months and months.

Better you than me.   I will stick to reading your articles thus remaining employed.

Make plans to attend the ASJA 2012.   Conference in NYC.  There you can share other wonderful stories and find ways to deal with the stresses and absurdities of your profession that you love so much.

http://www.clktranscription.com